Trinidad

Trinidad (Spanish: "Trinity") is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just 11 km (6.8 mi) off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of 4,768 km2 (1,841 sq mi) it is also the fifth largest in the West Indies.

Many believe the original name for the island in the Arawaks' language was "Iëre" which meant "Land of the Humming Bird". Although there are indeed many hummingbird species in Trinidad and these birds might have had some spiritual significance to native peoples, some believe that "Iere" was actually a mispronunciation/corruption by early colonists of the Arawak work "Kairi" which simply means "Island" (which might make sense given that for mainland-based Arawak groups, Trinidad would simply have been seen as the largest nearby island). Christopher Columbus renamed it "La Isla de la Trinidad" ("The Island of the Trinity"), fulfilling a vow he had made before setting out on his third voyage of exploration.